Trevon Bunch and Marlon Jones

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Marlon Jones is a very intriguing prospect. Saw him play in the state tourney, Orr had a good team this year. Reminds me of Jameel McKay but he is much stronger than Mckay. I think he could be a diamond in the rough.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Whatever happened to Legend Robertin? Last I saw, MU was the only one to offer him.

Legend enrolled at Chipola College. A top JUCO for basketball. His academics were...questionable. Not even TAMU felt comfortable offering. If he works hard, he may be able to get the grades up and transfer in in a year or two.

[willie warrior]

Sultan--you are going to be very busy responding to the lack of quality posts on here. You have your work cut out for you.

Yeah--we want to hear your F. Lee Bailey defense of Buzz. Hint: Consult with Eagle.

[GGGG]

Yeah--we want to hear your F. Lee Bailey defense of Buzz. Hint: Consult with Eagle.

My defense of Buzz how?

How he coached the team?  I thought it was fine.

How he left?  I don't care.  I think it was apparently that the MU administration and Buzz grew tired of one another and the divorce was pretty much inevitable.

How he didn't hire Chew at VT until Hill and Pierce were in the bag?  Unseemly but part of college athletics.

I will think about Buzz as much as I think about Crean - not very often.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think his prep school is extremely questionable.

Sounds like some of the fine institutions we got some of our kids from in the past.....

[Wojo'sMojo]

My defense of Buzz how?

How he coached the team?  I thought it was fine.

How he left?  I don't care.  I think it was apparently that the MU administration and Buzz grew tired of one another and the divorce was pretty much inevitable.

How he didn't hire Chew at VT until Hill and Pierce were in the bag?  Unseemly but part of college athletics.

I will think about Buzz as much as I think about Crean - not very often.

Was hoping your hiatus would have been a time for you to reflect what a poor job Buzz did with the team this year. Even Buzz's biggest supporters on this board admit he did an awful job last year. Still not ready to concede that fact I guess.

[GGGG]

Sounds like some of the fine institutions we got some of our kids from in the past.....

I would like you to name one place where we signed a player from that had a similar rep at Believe Prep Academy.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Was hoping your hiatus would have been a time for you to reflect what a poor job Buzz did with the team this year. Even Buzz's biggest supporters on this board admit he did an awful job last year. Still not ready to concede that fact opinion I guess.

FIFY 

[GGGG]

Was hoping your hiatus would have been a time for you to reflect what a poor job Buzz did with the team this year. Even Buzz's biggest supporters on this board admit he did an awful job last year. Still not ready to concede that fact I guess.

It's not a fact.  That might be your opinion...and the opinion of 99% of the people here...but it's not one shared by me.

[MUfan12]

I would like you to name one place where we signed a player from that had a similar rep at Believe Prep Academy.

Only one I can think of that had some problems is ND Prep.

[MU82]

It's not a fact.  That might be your opinion...and the opinion of 99% of the people here...but it's not one shared by me.

You are correct that it is not a fact. It is an opinion. But it is a reasonable opinion that is much easier to support than the opposite opinion: Buzz did a fine job last season but was done in by (fill in the blank).

[GGGG]

You are correct that it is not a fact. It is an opinion. But it is a reasonable opinion that is much easier to support than the opposite opinion: Buzz did a fine job last season but was done in by (fill in the blank).

I don't think Buzz was "done in" by anybody except a poorly constructed roster.  So yeah I think that's Buzz's fault, but I think he played it the best way he could to maximize performance.

[willie warrior]

My defense of Buzz how?

How he coached the team?  I thought it was fine.

How he left?  I don't care.  I think it was apparently that the MU administration and Buzz grew tired of one another and the divorce was pretty much inevitable.

How he didn't hire Chew at VT until Hill and Pierce were in the bag?  Unseemly but part of college athletics.

I will think about Buzz as much as I think about Crean - not very often.

Of course you don't care, Sultan. Because the things that you defended him on helped to get him moved. One example: This most recent year of coaching by him was abysmal, but you defended him  to the end. This year's performance was a huge driver. "Divorce was pretty much ineveitable"? Sad you see it that way, because there was a hell of a lot of more background than that. Oversimplification on your part. But that is ancient history to you now. Be interesting to see your analysis of Wojo.

[Texas Western]

I don't think Buzz was "done in" by anybody except a poorly constructed roster.  So yeah I think that's Buzz's fault, but I think he played it the best way he could to maximize performance.

Seriously, you honestly think playing a point guard who shot .442 from the free throw line  almost the entire game was the optimal configuration?

[keefe]

It's not a fact.  That might be your opinion...and the opinion of 99% of the people here...but it's not one shared by me.

That's correct. Anything we say is a matter of opinion. All that matters is the evaluation of his employer which is no longer Marquette University. And MU's assessment of Bert's job performance was not favorable. That is fact.

[Stretchdeltsig]

Sultan drinks too many slurpies.

[wadesworld]

Seriously, you honestly think playing a point guard who shot .442 from the free throw line  almost the entire game was the optimal configuration?

What better options were there at point guard on Marquette's roster this year? I don't know about you, but I look at more than FT percentage when I evaluate the performance of a point guard. There is a lot to fault Bert for, but not many other options at PG this year.

[Texas Western]

What better options were there at point guard on Marquette's roster this year? I don't know about you, but I look at more than FT percentage when I evaluate the performance of a point guard. There is a lot to fault Bert for, but not many other options at PG this year.

When a game is in crunch time and the other team willfully fouls our point guard as a strategy to get the ball back then that is a problem. Among other responsibilities, the Point guard should be one of the teams best free throw shooters. I would have rather seen the primary minutes go to Mayo and Dawson. obviously this is an old and tired discussion lol.

[MU82]

What better options were there at point guard on Marquette's roster this year? I don't know about you, but I look at more than FT percentage when I evaluate the performance of a point guard. There is a lot to fault Bert for, but not many other options at PG this year.

Well, technically, the lack of options at PG is 100% the head coach's fault.

Years ago, Northwestern played Ohio State in football. Northwestern's QB was a redshirt freshman named Gavin Hoffman -- apparently the best QB the great Gary Barnett could recruit. Ohio State had fifth-year senior Joe Germaine. Barnett was asked why his team lost and he candidly said it was all about the quarterback play: Ohio State's was good and Northwestern's wasn't.

Well, Barnett recruited that QB and Barnett chose to play that QB.

Several times this season, Buzz said having Derrick on the court was akin to playing 4-on-5. Who's fault was that?

I got frustrated with Derrick this season but I mostly tried very hard not to blame him. It wasn't his fault he only was as good as Derrick Wilson. It wasn't his fault that a 10-mpg defensive guard was thrust in the role of 30-mpg PG.

[wadesworld]

When a game is in crunch time and the other team willfully fouls our point guard as a strategy to get the ball back then that is a problem. Among other responsibilities, the Point guard should be one of the teams best free throw shooters. I would have rather seen the primary minutes go to Mayo and Dawson. obviously this is an old and tired discussion lol.

Name a time when the opposing team putting Wilson cost us a game this past season.  There were many problems with this team.  Derrick Wilson's free throw shooting is not why we were 17-15.  Dawson will be a good player.  He will eventually be better than Derrick.  But he was a freshman who was not ready to play consistent minutes, which is why he did not.  Mayo is the definition of an off the ball guard.  Derrick was by far the best option at point guard this past season, which is why he played there and played there a lot.  Had Duane Wilson stayed healthy would it have been the same story?  Hopefully not, because Duane is supposed to be really good.  But that is yet to be seen, and in regards to last year it is a moot point because Duane wasn't healthy.

[wadesworld]

Well, technically, the lack of options at PG is 100% the head coach's fault.

Years ago, Northwestern played Ohio State in football. Northwestern's QB was a redshirt freshman named Gavin Hoffman -- apparently the best QB the great Gary Barnett could recruit. Ohio State had fifth-year senior Joe Germaine. Barnett was asked why his team lost and he candidly said it was all about the quarterback play: Ohio State's was good and Northwestern's wasn't.

Well, Barnett recruited that QB and Barnett chose to play that QB.

Several times this season, Buzz said having Derrick on the court was akin to playing 4-on-5. Who's fault was that?

I got frustrated with Derrick this season but I mostly tried very hard not to blame him. It wasn't his fault he only was as good as Derrick Wilson. It wasn't his fault that a 10-mpg defensive guard was thrust in the role of 30-mpg PG.

Agreed.  Like Sultan said, Brent is at fault for not putting together a good enough roster to win basketball games.  But with the roster that we had, Derrick Wilson was the best option.  Texas Western asked if Sultan seriously thought playing a point guard who shot .442 from the line was the best option, and with our roster makeup last year the answer is yes.

[Tums Festival]

I can't believe we would've been worse off with Dawson playing a consistent 15 minutes a game. We'll never know. But perhaps with consistent playing time Dawson may have developed more confidence and earned additional minutes. This much is certain, giving the keys to the team to a player who's idea of an assist is to hand the ball to a teammate 40 feet from the hoop and then run away sure didn't work out very well.

[MU82]

Agreed.  Like Sultan said, Brent is at fault for not putting together a good enough roster to win basketball games.  But with the roster that we had, Derrick Wilson was the best option.  Texas Western asked if Sultan seriously thought playing a point guard who shot .442 from the line was the best option, and with our roster makeup last year the answer is yes.

I am not in Ners camp as thinking Dawson is a future star. But I also am not in the camp of those who think it was Derrick or nothing.

When something is obviously broken, you try something else. Some of the greatest coaches in NFL and NHL history occasionally changed QBs or goalies just for sake of change. The fact that Buzz refused to even try was the first clue that something was up with him. I admit that I didn't see the clue for what it was until the season was over and Buzz was in Blacksburg.

[keefe]

Some of the greatest coaches in NFL occasionally changed QBs

Ladies and Gentlemen, Coach Don Shula is proud to present, Mr. Tom Matte

[wadesworld]

I can't believe we would've been worse off with Dawson playing a consistent 15 minutes a game. We'll never know. But perhaps with consistent playing time Dawson may have developed more confidence and earned additional minutes. This much is certain, giving the keys to the team to a player who's idea of an assist is to hand the ball to a teammate 40 feet from the hoop and then run away sure didn't work out very well.

?  He averaged over 4 assists per game.  He lead the team and was tied for the 4th highest assists/game in the entire Big East.  He also had the 2nd highest assist:turnover ratio in the entire Big East.  I didn't realize we hit so many 40 footers this year!

(And beyond just assists, he was also tied for 4th in the entire Big East in steals/game.  Once again, there is more to a point guard than "shooting .442 from the free throw line," and while Derrick struggled to score and should not have been forced to play 31 minutes/game - that's on Buzz for not recruiting better - he was definitely the best option to play point guard consistently and it wasn't even close - sure, for a minute or 2 at a time Dawson could look like a better player, but over the entire course of the game Derrick was a much better overall point guard.)